22.06.2019 - Rammstein in Berlin

You know the band Rammstein, right? They're the ones with the extremely loud music and the very provocative lyrics. And if you know me, you know that's right up my alley! But with such polarizing music, opinions are divided. And sometimes, that division even reaches the confines of our own home. It's not great when one person wants to go to a Rammstein concert and the other doesn't. And especially when one person (me!) has already bought tickets and the other (Annett) has no idea.

Interested in how it all came about? Well, of course I've always wanted to go to a Rammstein concert. It just never happened, especially since their last concerts were years ago. When the big Rammstein stadium tour was announced in the fall of 2018, I was immediately thrilled. Of course, I wanted to be there.

The ticket presale through eventim started on Thursday, November 8th, at 10 a.m. But since members of the Rammstein fan club could buy up to 6 tickets 3 days earlier, it was clear that it wouldn't be easy. But those are exactly the kind of challenges I love. Making the near impossible possible. So, I sat in front of the computer right on time. The eventim website didn't completely crash, but I was stuck in queues for what felt like an eternity. But then suddenly the page was open and I could make my move.

A few frantic clicks later, I had two tickets for Rostock. My excited heart was pounding, especially since Annett loves the Baltic Sea. I thought, I could totally sell her on this. But I was completely mistaken. The tickets arrived in the mailbox, and the surprise was perfect, but then Annett didn't want to go. She wanted to go to the Baltic Sea, but not to the Rammstein concert. Not for that kind of music. It was heartbreaking. Sure, I could resell the tickets, but I didn't want to.

By April 2019, nothing had changed. Annett still didn't want to go, and we still didn't have accommodation. So, I did the only sensible thing and sold the tickets through the eventim fansale. You can't make a profit there, but my tickets were gone within minutes. And I was depressed.

And then the miracle happened: the first singles from Rammstein's new album were released and a change came over our home. The songs 'Deutschland' and 'Radio' were so amazing that even Annett found them appealing. And suddenly, going to a concert became more than just a possibility.

Now we just needed tickets. If I could sell tickets through the fansale, it must be possible to buy them here too, right? So, I tried and we got lucky. You do have to stay on top of it, but I would encourage every fan to try. Since the tickets are personalized now, there's no point in offering them at inflated prices on the secondary market or buying them there. That's why everyone who can't go for any reason sells them through the fansale.

And now we're in Berlin! Rammstein played at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. Hours before the concert, you could see fans wearing their shirts all over Berlin. And everyone had a common goal. Just that alone means something. The absolute excitement.

The atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely brilliant. No video can capture it. When thousands of fans yell, dance, and go crazy together, that's unique. Of course, it was loud, but being quiet wouldn't have fit at all.

And it was even better than I expected. Since some artists don't sing as well live as they do on perfectly mixed CDs, I was prepared for some compromises. But Till Lindemann, the frontman of Rammstein, sang perfectly throughout, and the other musicians played amazingly. And that was for the entire two hours.

Along with the elaborate show, which can't be topped. It starts in broad daylight with a big bang. Just to wake everyone up.

Then comes 'Was ich liebe' from the new album. Smoke rises and envelops the stage and the stadium, perfectly matching the dark lyrics. This is followed by the well-known 'Links 2-3-4'.

Rammstein manages to blend their best 'old' songs with the new ones and constantly raise the bar. Even comparatively quieter songs like 'Diamant' or 'Ohne dich' keep the energy high. During the latter, thousands of fans hold up the lighters they were given earlier, creating a sea of flames in the air.

Not every song from the new album became a new favorite of mine. 'Puppe,' for example, is a bit too martial for my taste, even though I like the message behind the lyrics. But even here, we were captivated by the burning giant stroller and the black confetti.

Speaking of fire, Rammstein had already set the bar high in terms of pyrotechnics. But what they delivered in the stadium yesterday exceeded anything I've ever seen in a concert. The later it got, the more impressive the effects became. Plus, it had become dark outside. And for those of us who had been a bit chilly in between, the fireworks were sure to warm us up again.

And then came 'Sonne.' What a highlight, absolutely insane! You have to see it, hear it, feel it. But who am I kidding, the whole evening was legendary. The amazing atmosphere during 'Ich will,' 'Deutschland,' and 'Radio,' we were all just going wild together.

So as you can see, my expectations were completely exceeded. But Annett's verdict is even clearer. At the end of the evening, she actually said the following sentence: 'I've never been to such an awesome concert.' Nothing more needs to be said!

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